Surrey council endorses small-scale multi-housing review framework<\/p>\n
Published 1:15 pm Wednesday, July 29, 2026<\/p>\n
Surrey council has endorsed a small-scale multi-unit housing review framework with the expectation city staff will report back on its findings with proposed bylaw, policy or process amendments arising from it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is not a rejection of small-scale multi-unit housing, it\u2019s a commitment to implement it properly with approximately 72,000 properties potentially eligible for this form of development,\u201d Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said. \u201cThe decision we make will shape Surrey\u2019s neighbourhoods and infrastructure for decades.\u201d<\/p>\n
Legislation the provincial government introduced on Nov. 30, 2023 requires cities to permit
such housing in neighbourhoods that were traditionally zoned for single detached and duplex housing.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hope as part of it we really look at the height of some of these structures because they\u2019re really towering and not really in keeping with many of the neighbourhoods,\u201d Councillor Linda Annis said.<\/p>\n
A city staff report in 2024 noted that 260 kilometres of small-diameter water mains and 100
kilometres of small diameter sanitary sewers might have to be upsized to support this legislation over
40 to 50 years, to the tune of $820 to $870 million in replacement costs.<\/p>\n
Councillor Harry Bains said \u201cone of the issues\u201d people have with this kind of housing is having one water metre split between multiple units. \u201cThe cost allocation has been a foreseable problem with this legislation,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s good to see\u201d a solution to install one water metre box with utility billing on a flat rate \u201csplit equally and allocated to each individual unit.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really happy to see that,\u201d Bains said \u201cI think a lot of cities are struggling to get over this issue.\u201d<\/p>\n